Sommers Schwartz attorney Richard Groffsky filed a medical malpractice lawsuit in a Cook County, Illinois court on behalf of a newborn and her mother after the child suffered catastrophic and permanent injuries just a few weeks after her birth.

According to the complaint, the child was born prematurely at a gestational age of 32 6/7 weeks. Approximately three weeks later, the mother brought the baby to the defendant hospital for cardiac issues. The child was given an oral dose of .42 mg of enalapril, a drug that tightens blood vessels to allow blood to flow more smoothly and the heart to pump more efficiently.

The enalapril dosage the attending nurse practitioner administered was dangerously excessive, however, and well beyond the proper dose for a child of that age and condition. After ingesting the medication, the baby suffered multiple seizures and developed hypotension, which resulted in severe ischemia and permanent brain damage.

Because of the medication error and the subsequent brain damage, mental and motor deficits, and developmental delays, the child underwent extensive medical care and treatment. She will require additional therapy, care, treatment, education, and training for the remainder of her life.

The lawsuit sought damages for the child’s injuries, pain, and suffering, as well as medical care, physical therapy, special education, and other services.